March 25, 2000. I awoke at 7 AM and joined a couple friends to begin the steep ascent to the top of Masada. Since we were already at the foot of the “mountain,” it was only a matter of minutes before we reached the bottom steps.

This precipice reaches 1200 feet above the coast of the Dead Sea, and serves as a formidable stronghold from all sides. King David may have taken his family here to hide from Saul (1 Samuel 22:4), and later Herod the Great built a palace on top, ensuring protection from any impending danger (such as a Hasmonean revolt).

Almost 100 years later, the Jews made a last-ditch effort to evade the Romans by climbing and fortifying Masada after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. However, the Romans, after two years of back-breaking work, were finally able to conquer the city using a massive siege ramp, still visible today.

For us, the grueling climb took half-an-hour in all, but once on top, we enjoyed an incredible view of the Dead Sea, and took a little time to explore the ancient city ruins.

Later in the morning, I experienced the bizarre phenomenon of swimming in the Dead Sea. The water here has an unprecedented 30% salt content! (It wasn’t pleasant when a little splashed in my eye) Surprisingly enough, our own bodies have less solid matter in them, and thus, we float effortlessly above the water.

After swimming around a bit, we applied some of the “therapeutic” Dead Sea mud over our bodies, giving us a nice, dark complexion. Hey, it’s all part of the Dead Sea experience!

Next we hiked Nahal David, where we stood under a waterfall.

Then we studied some remains at Qumran, where an ancient community of Essenes scrupulously copied and later hid many biblical and sectarian documents. Over 15,000 total scroll fragments have been discovered here! Amongst them were the Dead Sea Scrolls.

By the way, the quaint story about the little shepherd boy who discovered the scrolls by throwing a rock into a cave to retrieve his lost sheep, thus causing a pot to shatter, is entirely fabricated! We hiked up to one of these caves, and there’s absolutely no way a stray sheep could have wandered up to it!

The cave opening would’ve been too small for a sheep to fit in. And furthermore, how could the shepherd possibly have thrown a rock hard enough and accurately enough to enter a tiny cave hole and break a scroll-containing pot? If that’s not enough to convince you, ponder this: why on earth would a shepherd be throwing rocks at his sheep? Case closed.

I guess that’s it for now. The semester is quickly escaping me. Only a little over a month to go! I’m trying desperately to enjoy every waking moment. This Saturday, we leave for Galilee, where we’ll be staying an entire week! Thank you for your prayers. I love and miss you all. Love, Stephen

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

March 24, 2000. We slept in a little on Friday morning, but were ready by 8:30 to head out to the beach (who said college couldn’t be fun?!). Once there, I rented some snorkeling equipment and eagerly jumped into the Red Sea, beholding the splendors of a magnificent coral reef.

I saw some beautiful fish along the way, but I must admit, my favorite part occurred before I entered the water, when I saw two dolphins swimming along not more than 100 feet away! I swam and snorkeled for about an hour, but by that time, I was chilled to the bone, and ready for a hot shower in the beach house!

Our adventure continued after lunch, when we visited a full-scale model of the Tabernacle in Timnah. Like the Bedouin tent we had seen the day before, this life-size construction was incredibly helpful. Guided along by a Messianic Jewish tour guide, our visit really assisted me in understanding the purpose and layout of the Tabernacle.

It was the primary worship center for the Jews and the literal dwelling place for the living God. If you want a great Bible study, I recommend examining the abundant object-lessons of the Tabernacle. God had a specific reason for every meticulous detail!

After visiting the Tabernacle, we did some rock-climbing up a sandstone mountain and “Solomon’s Pillars” near Timnah.

At the Hai Bar Nature Reserve not far away, we got an up-close look at some of the critters indigenous to this region. Even here, in the southern, desert-like regions of Israel, wildlife does abound! On display were several species in the wolf family, some wildcats, a leopard, and a variety of reptiles – mostly snakes. Yikes!

The rest of our afternoon was spent traveling to Masada, about half-way up the Dead Sea (a.k.a. Salt Sea). We arrived at Masada Youth Hostel, which hugs the base of Masada, by early evening.

After our Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner, we ventured out into a nearby territory known as the Marl “Moonscape.” We hiked up and down several ridges and valleys, fascinated by the strange texture of the ground. It was softer than rock, yet firmer than sand (hence the name “Moonscape”).

Unfortunately, our hike was cut short by a couple injuries. Jeff Lewis and Tim Counts both fell and were taken to the hospital that night. We thought for a while that Jeff had suffered a serious back injury, after falling about 15 feet. Nevertheless, he was released the next morning, and seems to be doing okay.

Tim Counts jumped over a little chasm and thought he heard something crack. Later, he discovered he had broken his leg. I guess for all the hiking, climbing, and jumping we do around here, we can be thankful that there haven’t been any more injuries! Don’t worry…I’m usually pretty careful. 🙂

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

In biblical times, the Negev was a relatively small region located just south of the Judean Hill Country and Shephelah. Today, it refers to the entire southern territory of Israel, spanning over a hundred square miles. We couldn’t possibly see everything in one day, so we devoted three days to cover it.

On Thursday, March 23, 2000, the weather was unseasonably cool, with rain in the forecast. Fortunately, we were headed for the driest, and generally warmest, area of the country. As the weekend progressed, the weather improved.

In a little less than an hour, we arrived at Beersheba, in the central biblical Negev. This region has been significant since the time of Abraham, for it guards the southernmost approaches to the Judean Hill Country. (Have you noticed how important it was for the Israelites to protect every approach to the Judean Hill Country? Of course, this is where Jerusalem, the capital, sat, and it was vital that it be defended at all costs.)

The ruins in Beersheba dating to the Israelite period were well-preserved, including gates, walls, wells, and cisterns. Remnants from a horned altar have also been discovered here, but now, merely a replica is on display. Beyond Beersheba, I saw only wilderness. For all practical purposes, this was the southernmost extent of the Israelite kingdom, hence the phrase, “from Dan to Beersheba.”

Moving along, we came to the city of Arad, where we saw both Early Bronze (pre-dating Abraham) and Israelite ruins. Here, we witnessed some of the best-preserved Early Bronze remains, including a giant, horseshoe-shaped wall, that would have protected the Canaanites four-thousand years ago!

The Israelite Tower was an impressive sight, situated firmly on top of the hill.

We spent early afternoon visiting the humble ranch home of modern Israel’s first Prime Minister, David ben Gurion, at Kibbutz Sde Boqer.

Ben Gurion was a well-read, strong-willed, visionary figure that reminded me in many ways of Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill. Clearly, God used his unparalleled personality to re-unite the Jewish people and construct the modern state of Israel.

After Sde Boqer, we enjoyed a beautiful hike through part of Nahal Zin (“Nahal” is the Hebrew equivalent for Arabic “Wadi,” a dry river bed). We were hoping to see some ibex (horned mountain goats, after which our program is named) for the first time, but we didn’t have the pleasure of spotting any.

Once we’d climbed to the crest of the nahal, we visited a large bedouin tent on display. Similar to tents that Abraham would have used, this one offered spacious accommodations and protected us from the forceful desert winds outside.

Machtesh Ramon, the largest natural crater in the world, was next on our itinerary. Due to the haze, we weren’t fully able to appreciate the vast 40 kilometer basin, carved out entirely by water erosion. However, we were able to catch our first glimpse at some ibex, which roamed around the visitor’s center!

After traversing the depression, we disembarked the bus for a short time in the Wilderness of Paran. I remember hearing accounts of past IBEXers who had stopped here, claiming the region was even more desolate than a desert. I had a hard time understanding this, until we entered the wilderness ourselves. Its flat, pebble-strewn terrain was callous and foreboding. Though we didn’t have to contend with the blazing heat of the summer sun, the strong, chilling wind seemed just as unpleasant.

My first instinct was to find shelter from the biting wind, but hardly a tree could be seen across the horizon. Finally, I approached a thin, contorted tree that poked out of the rocky earth. I huddled close to its branches, hoping for a little shelter, but the tree itself seemed my adversary. It was barren and thorny.

It was in this wretched place the children of Israel wandered for forty long years. How the people must have longed for the land God promised, a “good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you shall eat food without scarcity, in which you shall lack nothing…” (Deut. 8:7-9)

By the end of the day, we had traveled a total of four hours south, all the way to the port city of Eilat, along the coast of the Red Sea. Eilat, in addition to being a main commercial route for the State of Israel, has developed into a thriving tourist attraction, boasting “360 days without rain” and one of the best beaches in the world. The whole city is littered with fancy hotels, one of which we had the pleasure of staying in. After a brief respite and a hearty dinner, most of us ventured out to take in a little “night life” in the city. Walking along the boardwalk and sharing a fudge brownie dessert with friends was the perfect ending to a busy day!

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

March 19, 2000. Pope John Paul II is expected to be in Israel throughout the week. He plans to visit many biblically and historically significant sights, and basically, the whole country is catering to his schedule. Streets throughout Jerusalem have been scoured clean, traffic schedules have been altered, and security has been beefed up considerably.

We at IBEX don’t expect things to be much different than normal, especially since we’ll be spending the second half of the week in the Negev desert — far, far away from any commotion. However, some of us hope to get into Jerusalem next Sunday to sneak a peak at John Paul crusin’ around in his pope-mobile.

As if this weren’t enough to make our week exciting, Tuesday also happens to be the celebration of the Jewish festival Purim, which commemorates the dramatic salvation of the Jews in the Book of Esther.

Some call Purim the “Halloween of the Jews” because everyone dresses up in exotic costumes and acts utterly ridiculous. Over the centuries, the holiday has developed into one big party.

One of the traditions during Purim is to read and act out the Book of Esther, cheering for the heroes (Esther & Mordecai), and jeering for the villain (Haman). Even the Messianic Jews get in on the action.

I got a taste of this during last Sabbath service, at Jerusalem Assembly. Pastor Menno, preaching on the story of Esther, was interrupted throughout the sermon not with “amen” or “praise God”, as you might expect during a sermon, but with booing and noisemakers, every time the name “Haman” was mentioned! It was quite a distraction, and I couldn’t help but laugh. After the service, we all enjoyed eating little cookies called “Haman’s ears.”

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

“Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:11-12).

Like other aspects of end times prophecy, there is probably an “already/not yet” dimension to Jesus’ words here. We are living in the last days (2 Tim. 3:1; 1 Jn. 2:18), yet as birth pains increase (Matt. 24:8), it will undoubtedly get worse. Will the church be present during this tribulation (Matt. 24:9, 21, 29)? My theology says no.

There is nothing in the text of Matthew 24 that hints that believers will be absent through all of this. Quite the contrary. But there are other places that comfort us about shielding believers from the hour of trial (Rev. 3:10; 1 Thess. 1:10; 2 Pet. 2:9), and of a sudden, unexpected rescue from God’s judgment (1 Thess. 4:17; 1 Cor. 15:52; Jn. 14:2-3; Titus 2:13).

Is Jesus coming back? Yes. Could it be soon? Absolutely. Will there be multiple phases or stages to his return, including a rapture of believers before the tribulation? It appears so, though it may be impossible to know for sure until everything unfolds.

As my theology professor Dr. Pettegrew once said, it’s easy to understand how different theological systems and tribulational views have arisen, though pretrib rapture seems best. It’s definitely the most encouraging system!

In the meantime, we are told to guard against false prophets and be ever wary of the risk of our love growing cold (Rev. 2:4). Come Lord Jesus!